Varaha Purana 129.2 — Adhyaya 129, Shloka 2
Initiation for the Four Social Orders, Sandhyā Mantra Procedure, and the Merit of Offering Water in a Copper Vessel
शिरसा चाञ्जलिं कृत्वा वसुधा पुनरब्रवीत् ॥ धरण्युवाच ॥ एतन्मां परमं गुह्यं तद्भक्तां वक्तुमर्हसि ॥ सन्ध्यां वै केन मन्त्रेण तव कर्मपरायणाम् ॥ वद भागवतीं शुद्धां तव कर्मविनिश्चिताम् ॥ ततॊ भूमिवचः श्रुत्वा भूतानां प्रभवोऽव्ययः ॥ वराहरूपो भगवान् प्रत्युवाच वसुन्धराम् ॥ श्रीवराह उवाच ॥ माधवि तत्त्वेन यन्मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि ॥ कथयिष्यामि ते भद्रे प्रवरं गुह्यमुत्तमम् ॥ यथावद्विदितं भूपैः पुण्या भागवताः शुभाः ॥ कृत्वा तु मम कर्माणि शुचिसंसारमोक्षणीम् ॥ कुर्वीतैव परां सन्ध्यां यथावदिति निश्चितम् ॥ जलाञ्जलिं ततो गृह्य मम भक्त्या व्यवस्थितः ॥ मुहूर्तध्यानमास्थाय इमं मन्त्रमुदाहरेत् ॥ मन्त्रः— भवोद्भवमादिव्यक्तरूपमात्रं सर्वे देवा ब्रह्मा रुद्रस्त्वादृक्सममासीद्ध्यानयोगस्थिताः ते सन्ध्यासंस्था वासुदेवं नमति वयं देवमादिव्यक्तरूपमात्मसप्तदिवसं तथापि संसारार्थं कर्म तत्करणमेव सन्ध्यासंस्था वासुदेव नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ मन्त्राणां परमो मन्त्रस्तपतां परमं तपः ॥ आचारं कुरुते ह्येवं मम लोकं स गच्छति ॥ गुह्यानां परमं गुह्यं रहस्यं परमुत्तमम् ॥ य एवं पठते नित्यं न स पापेन लिप्यते ॥ नादीक्षिताय दातव्यं नोपवीते कथंचन ॥ दीक्षितायैव दातव्यमुपपन्ने तथैव च ॥ पुनरन्यत्प्रवक्ष्यामि देवि तत्त्वेन मे शृणु ॥ न दीपमपि गृह्णाति दत्तं भागवतैः शुभैः ॥ कृत्वा तु मम कर्माणि गृह्य दीपकमुत्तमम् ॥ जानुसंस्थां ततः कृत्वा इमं मन्त्रमुदीरयेत ॥ मन्त्रः— ॐ नमो भगवतेऽनुग्रह तेजसे विष्णो सर्वदेवास्त्वाग्निसंस्थाः प्रविष्टा एवं चाग्निस्तव तेजसा भविष्यति स्वतेजसा मामाशु मन्त्रस्य तेजसा संसारार्थं देव गृह्यं दीपकं मन्त्रं मूर्त्तिमन्त्रं श्वो भूत्वा इमं कर्म निष्फलम् ॥ तत्करोति यथान्याय्यं दीपकं ददते नरः ॥ तारिताः पितरस्तेन निष्कलाश्च पितामहाः ॥ गन्धेन तिलकं दद्याल्ललाटे मम सुन्दरी ॥ अन्यच्च ते प्रवक्ष्यामि कर्म लोकसुखावहम्
śirasā cāñjaliṃ kṛtvā vasudhā punar abravīt || dharaṇy uvāca || etan māṃ paramaṃ guhyaṃ tadbhaktāṃ vaktum arhasi || sandhyāṃ vai kena mantreṇa tava karmaparāyaṇām || vada bhāgavatīṃ śuddhāṃ tava karmaviniścitām || tato bhūmivacaḥ śrutvā bhūtānāṃ prabhavo'vyayaḥ || varāharūpo bhagavān pratyuvāca vasundharām || śrīvarāha uvāca || mādhavi tattvena yan māṃ tvaṃ paripṛcchasi || kathayiṣyāmi te bhadre pravaraṃ guhyam uttamam || yathāvad viditaṃ bhūpaiḥ puṇyā bhāgavatāḥ śubhāḥ || kṛtvā tu mama karmāṇi śuci-saṃsāra-mokṣaṇīm || kurvītaiva parāṃ sandhyāṃ yathāvad iti niścitam || jalāñjaliṃ tato gṛhya mama bhaktyā vyavasthitaḥ || muhūrta-dhyānam āsthāya imaṃ mantram udāharet || mantraḥ— bhavodbhavam ādi-vyakta-rūpa-mātraṃ sarve devā brahmā rudras tvādṛk-samam āsīd dhyāna-yoga-sthitāḥ te sandhyā-saṃsthā vāsudevaṃ namati vayaṃ devam ādi-vyakta-rūpam ātma-sapta-divasaṃ tathāpi saṃsārārthaṃ karma tat-karaṇam eva sandhyā-saṃsthā vāsudeva namo'stu te || mantrāṇāṃ paramo mantras tapatāṃ paramaṃ tapaḥ || ācāraṃ kurute hy evaṃ mama lokaṃ sa gacchati || guhyānāṃ paramaṃ guhyaṃ rahasyaṃ param uttamam || ya evaṃ paṭhate nityaṃ na sa pāpena lipyate || nādīkṣitāya dātavyaṃ nopavīte kathaṃcana || dīkṣitāyaiva dātavyam upapanne tathaiva ca || punar anyat pravakṣyāmi devi tattvena me śṛṇu || na dīpam api gṛhṇāti dattaṃ bhāgavataiḥ śubhaiḥ || kṛtvā tu mama karmāṇi gṛhya dīpakam uttamam || jānu-saṃsthāṃ tataḥ kṛtvā imaṃ mantram udīrayet || mantraḥ— oṃ namo bhagavate'nugraha-tejase viṣṇo sarva-devās tvāgni-saṃsthāḥ praviṣṭā evaṃ cāgnis tava tejasā bhaviṣyati sva-tejasā mām āśu mantrasya tejasā saṃsārārthaṃ deva gṛhyaṃ dīpakaṃ mantraṃ mūrti-mantraṃ śvo bhūtvā imaṃ karma niṣphalam || tat karoti yathā-nyāyyaṃ dīpakaṃ dadate naraḥ || tāritāḥ pitaras tena niṣkalāś ca pitāmahāḥ || gandhena tilakaṃ dadyāl lalāṭe mama sundarī || anyac ca te pravakṣyāmi karma loka-sukhāvaham
Сложив ладони и склонив голову, Земля вновь сказала: «Это — высочайшая тайна; тебе надлежит открыть её своему преданному. Каким мантрой следует совершать практику сандхьи (sandhyā), посвящённую твоим установлениям? Изложи чистую формулу Бхагаваты, как ты её определил». Услышав слова Земли, нетленный источник существ, Господь в образе Варахи, ответил: «О Мадхави, раз ты спрашиваешь меня по истине, я поведаю тебе превосходную, высшую тайну, должным образом известную царям, благую и исполненную заслуги. Совершив мои обеты-деяния, очищающие и освобождающие от мирских уз, следует непременно совершать высшую сандхью согласно предписанию. Затем, взяв воду в сложенные ладони, утвердившись в преданности Мне и войдя в краткое созерцание, следует произнести эту мантру…». Далее говорится, что это — высшая из мантр и величайшая аскеза; тот, кто читает её ежедневно, не оскверняется грехом. Предписано передавать её лишь посвящённому (дикшита). Затем вводится обряд подношения светильника со второй мантрой, обращённой к Вишну, связывающей светильник с божественным сиянием; и в завершение даётся наставление нанести на лоб благоуханный тилак, после чего следуют иные действия, которые, как сказано, приносят мирское благополучие.
Dialogue: Pṛthivī (question) and Varāha (answer)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"boar_form_detail":"Varāha is named ‘Varāharūpo Bhagavān’ (the Lord in boar-form), but no specific anatomy is described here.","earth_interaction":"Extended guru–disciple exchange: Bhu Devī petitions; Varāha grants secret mantras, sets eligibility rules (dīkṣā/upavīta), and teaches sandhyā and dīpa-offering procedures for her welfare and for beings."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"questioner","bhu_devi_state":"devotional, earnest, seeking a ‘parama-guhya’ instruction","key_question":"Which mantra should be used to perform the pure Bhāgavata sandhyā devoted to your observances, and how is it properly determined/performed?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"krishna_connection":"Vāsudeva/Mādhava epithets anticipate later Kṛṣṇa-Vāsudeva theology, but the passage is primarily a Vaiṣṇava sandhyā-mantra and dīkṣā protocol, not Mathurā-mahātmya."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"varnashrama","instruction_summary":"Perform bhāgavata-sandhyā with water-offering and meditation; recite the ‘parama-mantra’ daily; transmit it only to the initiated (dīkṣita) and not to the non-initiated or those without yajñopavīta; follow lamp-offering and tilaka rules as taught.","karmic_consequence":"Daily recitation: not tainted by pāpa and attains ‘my world’ (Viṣṇuloka); improper transmission/unauthorized reception: breach of rahasya-dharma and loss of sanctity/efficacy; proper lamp-offering benefits ancestors (pitṛ-tāraṇa) as stated."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"Sandhyā is framed as a bhakti-yoga act where all devas (Brahmā, Rudra, etc.) are ‘situated in’ Vāsudeva; the rite becomes a unifying theistic contemplation: many deities converge into the one ‘ādi-vyakta-rūpa’ (primordial manifest form). The lamp mantra further sacralizes light as Viṣṇu’s tejas, turning a domestic offering into a cosmic theophany.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Not the classic tusk/yūpa mapping; instead: (1) jalāñjali at sandhyā as oblation-like offering; (2) dīpaka as embodied tejas where ‘all gods enter the fire’ (agni-saṃsthāḥ) and are gathered into Viṣṇu’s radiance; (3) tilaka with fragrance as bodily consecration sealing the rite.","vedantic_connection":"Henotheistic-to-nondual trajectory: devas are functional powers but grounded in Vāsudeva as the imperishable source; daily mantra-japa + dhyāna functions as sādhana for pāpa-kṣaya and loka-prāpti, consistent with Purāṇic bhakti-vedānta (one Lord as inner essence of all devatās)."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"bhakti-yoga + ritual hermeneutics","core_concept":"Supreme mantra and daily sandhyā, grounded in devotion and brief meditation, purify karma; sacred knowledge (rahasya) requires adhikāra (initiation) and disciplined transmission; divine light (tejas) is Viṣṇu’s presence accessible through dīpa-offering.","practical_application":"Establish a daily sandhyā routine: water-offering (jalāñjali), short dhyāna, mantra recitation; keep mantra as a disciplined practice (nitya-pāṭha); observe eligibility/teacher-student protocol; add evening lamp offering with focused contemplation of tejas; apply fragrant tilaka as a mindful seal of consecration."}
Subject Matter: ["Ritual Practice","Ethics","Mantra Studies"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa caturvarṇadīkṣā and sandhyā-mantra sections; rules on secrecy (guhya) and adhikāra; pitṛ-related fruits of dīpa-dāna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Bhu Devī bows with añjali, requesting the supreme secret; Varāha, the imperishable source, teaches sandhyā: water in cupped palms, brief meditation, mantra recitation; then instructs secrecy/eligibility; a second scene shows lamp-offering to Viṣṇu’s tejas and fragrant tilaka application.","item_prompts":["Bhu Devī in añjali, head bowed","Varāha in boar-form as guru","jalāñjali (cupped water) gesture","palm-leaf manuscript with mantras","initiation markers: yajñopavīta, dīkṣā tokens","oil lamp (dīpaka) with radiant aura","tilaka paste and fragrance vessel"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural diptych: (1) Bhu Devī questioning Varāha; (2) sandhyā with jalāñjali and a glowing dīpa; emphasize tejas as concentric radiance; include discreet ‘rahasya’ mood via subdued background and temple interior motifs.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central Varāha with large gold halo; Bhu Devī kneeling; gold-leaf flames of the lamp; embossed mantra panel; rich jewelry; tilaka ritual highlighted with gem-like paste bowl.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant narrative sequence; fine facial expressions; luminous lamp with soft gradation; detailed sacred thread and ritual vessels; calm devotional atmosphere.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate āśrama scene at twilight (sandhyā); cool sky tones; warm lamp glow; small attendants; manuscript and water-offering carefully rendered."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"solemn-rahasya and devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"slow-to-medium (measured, mantra-centric)","voice_tone":"authoritative yet compassionate; clear articulation for mantra passages"}
FAQs
It preserves a layered ritual program (sandhyā, mantra-recitation, lamp offering, tilaka) and explicitly records restrictions on transmission (dīkṣā), useful for reconstructing Purāṇic ritual pedagogy.
No specific sacred site is named in this excerpt; the focus is on portable daily rites rather than pilgrimage geography.
Regular disciplined practice (daily recitation and proper conduct) is emphasized, along with controlled transmission of specialized formulae to qualified recipients.
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